Staff report
DARKE COUNTY — The Darke County General Health District, like the rest of Ohio, has seen a large increase in positive COVID-19 cases the last few weeks. In the last seven days, Jan. 14 to Jan. 21, we have received report of 1,066 cases. In the same time frame, there have been 17 reported hospitalizations and 3 deaths due to COVID-19 in Darke County. The Darke County General Health District would like to remind Darke County residents of steps to protect themselves from getting ill.
Wearing a mask is advised to protect yourself and others and to stop the spread of COVID-19. Surgical masks or N95s are preferred over cloth masks. It is also recommended to stay six feet apart from those you do not live with. During this time, avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces can decrease your chances of contracting an illness. Also, remember to clean your hands often either with soap and water for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Do stay away from those who are sick. Lastly, when you cough or sneeze, do so into a tissue and then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.
If you are ill, stay home. Drink plenty of fluids and monitor your symptoms. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, contact your primary care physician for instructions on getting tested and treatment. If you do not have a primary care physician, see our graphic on our Facebook page for testing locations.
If you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, you must stay home for 5 days. If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional 5 days. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves for 24 hours. If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and have had your vaccine series with the booster, have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna within the last 6 months, or have completed the primary series of the J&J vaccine within the last 2 months: wear a mask around others for 10 days and test on day 5 after exposure, if possible. If you are unvaccinated, have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted, or have completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted: stay home for 5 days. After that, continue to wear a mask for an additional 5 days. Test on the 5th day after exposure, if possible. If you develop symptoms, get tested and stay home until a negative test confirms that symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
The Darke County General Health District appreciates your support and cooperation in helping prevent further spread of COVID-19.
